


It’s a long way

by Baho



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Brother-Sister Relationships, Canon Compliant, Castaspella (She-Ra) is a good sister, Character Study, Everyone needs therapy tbh, Family Feels, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, I’m making this a tag, Love, Male-Female Friendship, Mental Health Issues, Micah (She-Ra) is a good dad, Micah (She-Ra) needs a hug, Minor Netossa/Spinnerella (She-Ra), Moving On, Netossa being her competitive self, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Parenthood, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-War, Protective Siblings, Recovery, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Love, Trauma, When aren’t they?, Women Being Awesome, and therapy, but this is Micah centric, the author has a lot of feeling as always
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:33:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25340938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baho/pseuds/Baho
Summary: The war has ended. Now, Micah and the other survivors had to recover.
Relationships: Adora & Micah (She-Ra), Castaspella & Micah (She-Ra), Glimmer & Micah (She-Ra), Micah & Spinerella
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	It’s a long way

**Author's Note:**

> Did I cry watching Micah and Glimmer fight? Did I cry some more when they met properly?  
> You can’t prove it.  
> Thanks to my beta, the Scorpia to my Catra.

At some point, Micah had to let go off Glimmer. He would have been happy to hug his daughter forever but even if the war was over, their work wasn’t. They had so much to do. There were people who needed to be healed and loved ones to mourn. There were villages and cities that needed to be rebuilt. And then, there was Hordak. They had to decide what they would do with Hordak.

But no one wanted to think about the hardships of rebuilding a normal and peaceful life. Most of them grew in a world ruled by war and violence. For now, people wanted to celebrate the end of decades of fear and loss and so did Micah.

When Glimmer had ran towards him and smiled at him with tears of unadulterated happiness in her eyes, Micah had felt a warmth in his chest that he had thought lost somewhere on Beast Island.

They hugged a long time, with Glimmer’s face buried in his chest and his hand on her shoulders. "God." Thought Micah, "She’s a grown up now." Last time he had held his daughter, she had been a small ball of electric energy who looked at the world with an insatiable curiosity and loved nothing more than teleporting straight into his arms and disappearing with a joyous burst of laughter. But Glimmer wasn’t a child anymore. She had fought a war, had become a queen, had seen and lost so much. His baby girl who used to climb on his shoulders had grown up into this brave, skilled, strong, incredible young woman and he was so, so proud.

"Dad?"

Glimmer gently touched his face. Surprised, Micah startled.

"Dad?"

Glimmer was worried now.

"Is something wrong? Are you hurt?"

Micah’s heart was beating too fast. He managed a shaky smile.

"Sorry, not used to people being really real yet."

It was awkward and didn’t reassure Glimmer in the slightest. "She has the same facial expressions as Angela", noticed Micah. The tension dissipated when Castaspella ran to them and and hugged them both with enough strength to crush their bones.

"Aunt Castaspella." Half-giggled, half-whinned Glimmer, soundings like the child from his memories.

"I can’t breathe."

Castaspella squeezed them even harder and both father and daughter groaned in protest. Castaspella eventually released them and Micah saw that she was crying. Just like he used to do when they were children, a lifetime ago, Micah wrapped an arm around his sister’s trembling shoulders and squeezed.

The darkness was surrounding Glimmer. The more she tried to escape it, the more it gripped at her.

"Don’t worry, baby girl." Said Micah.

"There’s no need to waste your energy. You already lost. You failed, just like you failed your mother and your friends."

Micah raised his hands and the cage of darkness squeezed Glimmer harder, and harder, and harder; until it crushed her.

Micah jolted awake. His heart was pounding hard in his ears and the image of his daughter’s inert body remained clear and vivid under his eyelids. Turning on his side, Micah tried to chase the nightmare that haunted him every night since the end of the war. The days spent under Prime’s influence were a blur of tangled memories but he could remember the helplessness, the coldness, the feelings of being a prisoner in his own head. Every night, as soon as he fell asleep, Micah saw himself hurting innocent Etherian and more often than not, his own daughter. Eyes wide open in the night, Micah listened to the silence of Bright Moon. After all this time on Beast Island, he couldn’t bear the silence anymore.

With a sigh, Micah pushed the covers away and left his room. It was one of their guest rooms and Micah still felt like a guest in Bright Moon but it remained a better option than the room he used to share with Angela. When Glimmer had told him how Angela has saved all of Etheria, he hadn’t been surprised in the slightest. His wife was as brave and as incredible as his daughter and her loss was an ache that pulsed with each beat of his heart.

Walking around the castle was a strange experience. Bright Moon was his home, the place where he kissed Angela good morning when her eyes were soft and her features relaxed, before she had to put on her mask of seriousness that came with her role. Glimmer had walked her first steps in these corridors. Bright Moon used to be his home but now, Micah didn’t know where he belonged anymore.

Feeling claustrophobic, Micah took the stairs and climbed onto the rooftop. He pushed the door that lead to the roof, stepped outside and almost got stabbed. Instinctively, he summoned a shield around him. The person holding the sword gasped and laid their weapon down.

"Oh no, I’m so sorry."

Said a familiar voice. Micah let his shield vanish and blinked. He recognised Adora’s features. Adora who was still apologising without taking a break to breathe.

"I don’t know why I did that. I didn’t mean to attack you."

"Adora."

"I didn’t even think. I’m so sorry."

"Adora."

"I thought everyone was asleep and.."

Micah put a hand on her shoulder, putting abruptly Adora’s rambling to an end.

"Adora, it’s ok. Anyone would be on edge after everything that happened."

Adora nodded and an uncomfortable feeling grew in Micah stomach. Releasing his grip on her shoulder, he crouched down and picked up the sword. The metal was cold against his skin and he could feel the ancient power that impregnated it even if he couldn’t access it. Awkward, he handed her sword back to Adora. She accepted it with a smile that revealed her own unease and Micah felt a sudden wave of fondness for this young woman who saved them all. He remembered a powerless Adora, fighting day and night, refusing to rest, facing him with dust on her face, sweat in her disheveled hair, bruised, barely able to stand on her feet and a feverish look in her eyes, promising to bring his daughter back home. She had kept her promise and even more. Micah smiled for himself. Glimmer knew how to choose her friends. He realised one of these friends was currently facing him and probably wondering why he was staring at her and smiling for no reason like an idiot. Embarrassed, Micah wiped the smile out of his face and cleared his throat.

"So," tried Micah, "can’t sleep, uh?"

Adora winced.

"I can’t stop thinking about the mission. You know?"

She gestured at the sky full of stars and planets that weren’t shining above Etheria a few weeks ago. One of the numerous things that had changed.

"I mean, nothing can be worse than Prime but we don’t know what’s waiting for us out there and I just... I just want everyone to be safe."

She was talking about the princesses next missions. Soon, Adora, Glimmer, Bow, Entrapta and Catra would climb on board the First Ones’ ship and take off to go and set free all the planets fallen to Horde Prime. They were just waiting for Entrapta to finish fixing the ship to leave Etheria for a trip that could last years. The universe was infinite and Prime’s empire, vast. Soon, Glimmer will go away and god knew when she would be back.

His face must have betrayed him because Adora said:

"You could come with us."

"What?"

"I mean, Glimmer and you haven’t seen each other in so long and a powerful sorcerer could be useful. Our plans have a tendency to go awry."

She said the last words with a sheepish smile. She was so young.

Micah shook his head. As much as he was pained to see his daughter go away after years without her, Micah knew that he belonged on Etheria and that Glimmer had to go on this mission with her friends. She didn’t need anyone to protect her especially not him.

"Someone has to stay in Bright Moon." He said with a cheerful tone that didn’t match his feeling of uselessness. "And Adora, you’ll be fine. I believe in all of you."

This time, Adora’s smile was genuine.

Days passed and eventually, the ship was ready to take off. The day of the departure was filled with luggage to check and last tests. Bow was desperately trying to stay calm but Entrapta’s enthusiasm coupled with Adora’s clumsiness, Glimmer’s attempts to dodge Castaspella and her endless list of advice and Catra’s snark was an explosive mix. Micah himself had wisely stepped out and observed the chaos from a safe distance. Eventually, everyone was ready to leave and it was time for them to say goodbye. Glimmer ran at Micah and hugged him with enough force to knock the air out of his lungs.

"I love you, dad."

Since the war ended, they said they loved each other as often as possible and each time, it felt special.

Micah swallowed the knot in his throat.

"I love you, too. And I’m proud of you and your mother would be so proud, too."

Glimmer squeezed him one last time before teleporting away.

"Don’t forget to practice!"

Yelled Micah even if she couldn’t hear him from the ship.

They were all on board now except Adora.

"Don’t worry." She said. "I’ll take care of her."

Micah managed a small smile.

"I think she can take care of herself."

Adora shrugged.

"Yeah sure, but it’s kinda my thing now so."

"Hey, Adora!"

Called Catra from where she was standing beside the ship.

"You coming or what?"

"Just a sec!" Yelled Adora in response. 

Micah couldn’t see from this far, but he could easily picture Catra rolling her eyes in impatience.

"Go save the universe, Adora."

"Or Glimmer will come back and teleport you." Added Castaspella who has joined them at some point.

"Or Entrapta will implode." Added Micah.

Adora waved at them and took off in a run towards the ship.

Side by side, Micah and Castaspella watched together Mara’s ship launching, becoming smaller with every passing second and finally disappearing from Etheria’s brand-new starry night. A heavy silence fell around Bright Moon. For a long moment, Micah and Castaspella stared at the sky that took what was left of their family away in its immensity. Castaspella was the first one to come back to herself.

"Are you seriously barefoot right now?" Asked Castaspella out of the blue.

"What? Oh, that?" Micah shrugged and for once, his nonchalance wasn’t feigned.

"I lost the habit, I guess."

"You lost the habit of wearing shoes?"

For a person who wasn’t a parent, Castaspella did sound like a mother in this instance.

"Well, I couldn't really buy shoes on Beast Island."

"The kids found you months ago?"

Micah shrugged again.

"Told you, lost the habit."

Castaspella threw at him the same look of annoyance she used to give him when they were younger and Micah managed to embarrass her. Castaspella took at proper look at him,. Visibly, she didn’t like was she saw.

"When did you sleep for the last time?"

"Last night."

"And how long?"

Castaspella’s stare on him was pretty intense. She seemed to warn him he better not try to fool her..

"Long enough?" Tried, and failed, Micah. He has always been a terrible liar.

Castaspella sighed deeply, shook her head in exasperation and taking her brother by the elbow, dragged him inside the castle. Muttering was sounded like swears, she passed across the hall and the corridors at a quick pass, Micah stumbling after her. Castaspella barely slowed to open a door and only stopped to gesture at a table while saying :

"Sit, you disaster."

"Dear sister, why are we in the kitchen?"

Instead of giving an answer, Castaspella silently pointed at the table. The look on her face reminded him so much of their mother that Micah instinctively backed out and took a seat at the table. Micah’s gaze followed Castaspella as she wondered around the kitchen and collected all she needed to make tea alongside of too many herbs for him to keep track of them.

"You’re planning on drugging me?"

Castaspella ignored him, which was rude. Micah let his gaze wander by the large window. He couldn’t see a lot besides the brightness of the stars. How far was the closest liveable planet? How long would it take for the ship to reach it?

The clattering of porcelain brought him back in the kitchen. Castaspella was looking down at him, a steaming cup in her hand. She firmly deposed the cup in front of him and put her hands on her hips, an impatient look in her eye.

Micah sniffled suspiciously.

"Is it garlic I’m smelling?"

"Oh, shut it. That was one time and it was an accident. Now drink it before it gets cold."

Micah wrapped both of his hand around the cup and let himself savouring the warmth before taking a sip. Castaspella’s tea tasted like mint, jasmin, siblings running hand in hand and laughing, the shy sunlight on the first day of spring after a tough winter, their mother ruffling casually his hair, the lullaby sang by the rain on the windowpane of his childhood room.

Micah put the cup on the table and smiled at his sister.

"It’s good."

"Of course it is."

Micah took another sip.

"You put something in it that’ll make me sleepy didn’t you?"

"Obviously."

He finished his tea and grinned mischievously at her.

"Joke’s on you. It’s like, super efficient. I’m falling asleep already."

"Don’t you dare."

Micah’s eyelids fluttered and he closed his eyes.

"Think I can’t go to my room on my own."

Castaspella groaned and helped him to get on his feet.

"I hate you so much."

Micah muttered something that sounded approximately like "You poisoned me." and Castaspella huffed.

Leading Micah into his room was an hardship but Castaspella managed it with some effort and a lot of muttered swears.

She let him fall unceremoniously on his bed and was about to leave when a hand weakened by sleep caught her wrist.

"Thanks, Cas." Slurred Micah. 

Castaspella smiled down at him and ran her fingers through his too long hair.

"I missed you, you dumbass."

  
  


"Ok." Said Micah while the both of them were having breakfast.

"What are you scheming?"

Castaspella raised an eyebrow and took a sip of her coffee before answering.

"What are you talking about?"

"Na, don’t "What are you talking about?" me. You seem satisfied with yourself and it’s waaay too early to be satisfied for no particular reason."

"It’s nine."

"Too early."

"You are being ridiculous."

"When isn’t he?"

Micah jolted and his cup shattered on the floor, spilling steamy coffee and pieces of ceramic all around him. The mess wasn’t enough to knock the newcomer’s smug smirk off her face.

"See," said Netossa to Spinerella, "Told you I was the best at sneaking around and taking people by surprise."

"You sure did, darling."

Noticing that Micah was staring incredulously at them, Spinerella waved.

"Hello. Thanks for the invitation."

Micah looked at the couple, then at Castaspella who kept sipping her coffee, then at the small pool of hot liquid around his feet.

"Guess we won’t be bored today."

"Hell yeah. We brought board games!"

Micah glanced at Castaspella who was visibly reconsidering all her life choices. He smirked wickedly at her.

"Great. I’ll team up with Spinerella."

The betrayed look on Castaspella’s face was priceless.

"Whatever, we’ll destroy you." Said Netossa. She was vibrating with excitation.

The rest of the day was filled with some catching up, magical wrestling, a lot of laughter and more generally, utter chaos. Spinerella and Netossa brought animation and noise in a castle that echoed of silence without Glimmer and her friends in it.

"Are you ready to lose?"

Netossa slammed a deck of cards with way too much strength on the table.

"Micah and I won the three last games but I’m glad you’re keeping an optimistic attitude, darling."

"These," started Netossa while shuffling the cards. "were team games. I’m invincible on my own."

Micah’s attention drove away from the couple easy bickering. The day, as pleasant as it was, had left him drained. The room was blurry. Netossa’s and Spinerella’s voices were too loud. Micah inhaled but breathing was difficult and there was a deadweight on his chest.

The chair screeched when Micah stood up. He winced in discomfort.

"Be right back." Said Micah without looking any of the women in the eye and flew out of the room and the castle.

Micah sat against a tree and tried to control his bolting heart. Eye closed, he tried to focus on anything but the increasing panic in his guts. The cool breeze on his face. The discrete fluttering of a nocturnal bird flying away. Foot steps growing closer. Foot steps? Damn, Castaspella didn’t need to see him in such a state.

"Micah, are you alright?"

That wasn’t Castaspella’s voice.

"Just peachy."

She snorted. A ruffling noise indicated to Micah she just sat on the ground next to him. He could hear her slow and regular breathing. They sat in silence for a long time, until Micah ready to unfold himself and look at Spinerella.

"It happens to me too." She said in answer to the question he didn’t dare to ask.

"I tried to hide it from Netossa. She called me an idiot."

The silence fell. Micah picked up a small rock and played nervously with it. Eyes on his hands, he confessed.

"I have nightmares. You know, of when I was…"

He touched his neck.

"So do I. Every night, I dream of what I did to Netossa. She keeps telling me it wasn’t my fault and I know she’s right, but still."

"I hurt Glimmer. And I’m, I’m-" Micah swallowed and took a shaky breath. "I’m terrified she’ll hate me for what I did to her."

"She won’t."

Spinerella seemed so certain.

"Glimmer would never hate you and certainly not for something you did against your will. Just like Netossa doesn’t and won’t hate me. They love us, just like we love them."

She took Micah’s hand in hers and squeezed.

"We’re gonna go through it. Even if it’s hard."

Micah looked up at the stars and the endless secrets and possibilities they offered.

"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, we’re gonna."

It wouldn’t be easy and it’d take a lot of time and work, but their wounds would eventually heal and someday, they’d take a look at these scars, these wounds they had thought were letal, and they’d realise how strong they were. And it will be ok.

**Author's Note:**

> I just love these characters so much.  
> Thank you for reading. I hope it was enjoyable. Wear a mask and take care of yourselves.


End file.
